Development of a compelling ad copy is vital to the success of any paid search campaign. It is a set of 95 characters that would influence the CTR (Click Through Rate) of the campaign, and drive in those coveted visitors.

We discussed the importance of selection of the keywords and bidding strategy in our last newsletter. However such exercise would be futile should it not be complemented with an attractive ad copy, interesting enough to invite the clicks. Further, a comprehensive paid campaign strategy requires regular efficacy audit, requiring review of the selected keywords and the corresponding bids.

This newsletter would cover the modalities involved with the development of an ad text, and the frequency with which the bids should be reviewed.

Development of Ad - text

Once the target keywords are identified and the bidding range established, the strategy is implemented by publishing keyword structured Ad - Texts. Keyword selection and bidding may lead to impressions, however if there are no clicks on the ad copy, the respective ad would witness a drop in its rankings. This would further diminish the chances of being noticed.

Owing to the very limited space available to make an impression, advertisers are not allowed any leeway whatsoever to doodle with unexciting text. Effective ads are the ones with razor sharp words and enough calls - to - action.

For Example : A good advertisement for a newly launched Sharp laptop would ideally contain words like :

New Laptop

Brand new Sharp Laptop. Guaranteed
Performance. Order now for free shipping!
www.xyzabcelectronics.com

A sloppy ad - text for the same product could be :

New Laptop

Sharp Laptop in stock. Cheap and
light. Worldwide shipping included!
www.abcxyzelectronics.com

The first ad scores better with the use of powerful, positive words. It also has greater call - to - action which makes it that much more effective.

Familiarity of the text also plays a crucial role in generating clicks. Research shows that out of :

www.xyz-abc.de
www.xyzabc.com
and
www.xyzabc.eu

the URL most likely to score a hit will be www.xyzabc.com, simply because its phrasing is much better recognized. Further, the attractiveness of the ad text would determine whether the audience will click on the ad to visit the landing page. It would also influence the placement of the ad since it is a function of the average bid for the keyword and the CTR (Click Through Rate).

For Example: An interesting AOL statistic shows that the CTRs for the first and the second ranking website on most search engines are as follows:

For website ranked 1^st, CTR= 40%
For website ranked 2^nd, CTR= 12%

The second ranker lags behind the first by as much as 72%. In terms of business opportunities, the first website receives a whopping 4 times as much traffic as the second.

Therefore the more clicks it generates, the better the ad - text ranks, and the better are its chances of attracting the target audience.

Clearly, the practical approach is to develop unique ads for all keywords and phrases, and their permutations and combinations. Posting multiple ads extends the playing field for the practicing entity as it covers an extended list of possible key - phrases, which in turn exposes it to a wider audience base.

How frequently to bid

Pay Per Click advertising thrives on competition. So the way to remain afloat is by regular scrutiny of the bidding strategy in use, not by abandoning the bid after launch or by adopting a callous follow-up routine.

The efficacy of the strategy is judged solely by the ROI (Return - On - Investment). To ensure a positive Return to investment ratio, ideally at 4~6%, keywords need constant tweaking, updates and purging to eliminate redundancy and to avoid under - performance.

Also as previously discussed, gunning for the top slot could well be wasteful because of the lower ROI obtained. The top slot requires the highest bid and it is also charged much higher per click, when compared with the amount paid by the firm occupying the 2^nd slot for scoring a click ahead of the one holding the 3^rd. The ROI for the 2^nd and 3^rd positions would be healthier on account of lesser expenditure involved with these slots.

Thus, a professional bid management strategy is the one that is (preferably) updated daily, or periodically without fail.

Effective Landing Pages

Before you are ready to rest after having bid and placed your ad - text, there is one more step. Make your landing page so captivating that the visitor will not leave before (ideally) committing to a transaction with you/your firm. For more on effective landing pages, refer to our previous newsletter on the same.

PPC Advertising is a playing field that is open to all, but favors only the smartest. It requires knowledge of the dynamics involved, and the patience and perseverance to let all the hard work dig in itself in as a solid Pay Par Click Advertising strategy. With millions of entities vying for the top spot, the surest way for you to move ahead is to learn the trade itself, or approach professionals who know their craft.

This concludes our series of newsletter covering the modalities of a paid campaign, starting from selection of the appropriate Search Engine to the Keyword research and bidding strategies. We hope that these three issues have helped you understand PPC Advertising better.